The present invention relates to an improved device for strengthening the auricular muscles of dogs, particularly in situations where a dog's ears have undergone cosmetic surgery.
In certain breeds of dogs it is thought desirable to surgically remove a portion of the outer ear and subsequently train the ear to stand erect independent of artificial support. For example, some types of dogs are trained and displayed at shows and exhibitions in competition. It is considered desirable by those persons who train such dogs that the ears of these animals be cropped and subsequently trained to stand erect. Such a result is obtained by strengthening and training the auricular muscles of the animal so that they are capable of holding the weight of the ear in an erect position. It has been found that this process should take place while the dog is very young, in that it becomes increasingly difficult to train the dog and condition the proper muscles as the dog becomes older.
At the present time there are a great many methods being employed by animal trainers, breeders, veterinarians and others to achieve these ends. The majority of the devices and methods are cumbersome and inefficient, and all are less effective and more difficult to apply in practice than the present invention. A common method of training auricular muscles currently in use consists of packing the ears with a filler material such as cotton and then applying a large number of strips of adhesive tape to the ear. Difficult and time consuming to apply, the resulting construct is also quite irritating to the animal. Another disadvantage of this method lies in the ease in which the dog may remove it by clawing at the assembly or rubbing its head against other objects. Additionally, if the tape is not applied correctly, or if some of the tape is torn off by the animal itself, the process may be ineffective to achieve the desired results.
Another common practice consists of placing an inverted paper cup upon the crown of the animal's head, and wrapping gauze around both ears and the cup, followed with a layer of adhesive tape. This method also entails the use of a fragile construct, the cup assembly being easily dislodged. As is the case with many other methods, it is extremely difficult to properly apply the materials so as to correctly train the ears. Other methods existing at present involve the use of wire or metal frames or devices of one sort or another. In addition to being cumbersome, these devices are difficult to keep properly positioned, resulting in ineffective training of the auricular muscles. Moreover, dogs wearing the devices may be subject to injury or disfigurement as a result of impact upon the device, either as a result of contact with other animals or of the efforts of the subject dog itself in trying to remove it. Such a result is even more likely when the device is heavy in weight, as is the case with many of the devices currently in use.
Yet another method is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 3,970,080, and consists of the application of a soft, pliable supporting body to the interior surface of the ear. The supporting body conforms exactly in size and shape to the interior of the ear of a particular animal and must therefore be custom made with the use of a mold. Accordingly, the device may not be used on more than one dog, and will be rendered obsolete should the animal outgrow it before the need for its use is ended. In addition to the disadvantages inherent in the task of creating a mold of a dog's ear, the method of securing the body to the ear as taught by the patent itself is difficult and tedious. Suturing the body to the ear is suggested as one such method, while another involves the application of layers of adhesive material. Either one necessarily requires that the subject animal be sedated for long periods of time.